The Blog

Making Sense of Personal Finance with Michelle Schroeder

By Andy Hayes

Do you ever feel like personal finance is just too complicated for you? That’s exactly what the big companies want you think. But it’s not true, and today’s Q&A guest has built a thriving blog + community helping you understand money topics. A big welcome to Michelle Schroeder of Making Sense of Cents.

Your site is about “earn more, save more, live more.” What does living more mean to you, in your own words?

Living more to me means living the life you want to live – not one that is dictated by money problems. Living more can mean anything too. Whether it means finding your dream job, taking part in a dream trip, having a wonderful family, or something else, I want to help everyone live the life they want to.

Like many of our Q&A guests, you unburied yourself from a mound of student loan debt. What was the most important action or mindset that helped you tackle that debt load?

I was able to pay off $40,000 in student loan debt in just 7 months. While it was not easy, it was definitely worth it. The top thing I did in order for this to happen is that I started to become more serious about my blog (anyone can start a money making blog!) and making extra money. I then put as much extra income as I could towards my debt, and before I knew it my student loan debt was gone.

You used to be a financial analyst – no doubt helpful in running a personal finance blog! Was there anything that you learned in that job that you wish more people knew about?

I dealt a lot with extremely wealthy clients who started their businesses from no where. Something I wish more people knew is that you are in control of your destiny and hard work can go a long way.

You’re at a dinner party, and the host mentions to the group that you’re in the finance space. Another guest (that you don’t know) asks you what’s the best piece of advice you’ve learned since you started blogging. What do you tell them?

The best piece of advice I’ve learned since I started blogging is that side hustling can change your life. I knew nothing about side hustling before I started blogging and I honestly believe that it can completely change anything and everything. Whether you just have one hour a day or if you have multiple hours a day that you can dedicate towards side hustling, time can be used to make extra money so that you can reach financial freedom.

Big thanks to Michelle for taking the time to join us today. For more, be sure to connect with Michelle and her community on Facebook or Twitter.